WEBVTT JENNIFER: FOR MANY SUFFERERS OF ACUTE OR CHRONIC PAIN, MEDICATION IS OFTEN THE FIRST AND ONLY RESOURCE FOR RELIEF. WITH THE GROWING IN OPIOID EPIDEMIC, THAT HAS MANY SUFFERERS WORRIED ABOUT ADDICTION. AS ANN BOWAN SHOWS US, ONE LOCAL THERAPY CENTER IS LOOKING AT AN ALTERNATIVE, VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNOLOGY ANN: YOU COULD ALMOST CALL IT VIRTUAL REALITY PHYSICAL THERAPY. HERE AT PROREHAB PHYSICAL THERAPY, THEY ACTUALLY USE VIRTUAL REALITY TO HELP CHANGE YOUR MINDSET ABOUT PAIN. >> I’M FEELING BETTER. >> I’M DOWN TO ABOUT A THREE OR FOUR. ANN: A 3 OR A 4 PAIN LEVEL IS A VICTORY FOR MOLLY WEISBERG. AFTER HAVING AN EMERGENCY C-SECTION, MOLLY FOUGHT FOR HER LIFE IN THE HOSPITAL FOR TWO WEEKS. WHEN SHE FINALLY ARRIVED HOME, DOCTORS SAID SHE STARTED TO EXHIBIT PAINFUL SYMPTOMS OF PTSD. >> I ENDED UP JUST FEELING LIKE MY BONES WERE CRUMBLING IN MY HANDS AND MY FEET ESPECIALLY WHEN I’D GET UP IN THE MORNING. ANN: SOON THE PAIN BECAME UNBEARABLE AND SHE COULDN’T EVEN HOLD HER NEW BABY. HER DOCTORS SUGGESTED STRONG PAIN MEDICATION OR THERAPY. THAT’S WHEN SHE FOUND PRO-REHAB PHYSICAL THERAPY WHERE THEY , TRAIN YOUR BRAIN TO UNDERSTAND PAIN TO HELP MANAGE IT THEY DO IT THROUGH A VIRTUAL REALITY PROGRAM THAT TAKES YOU TO A VIRTUAL CLASSROOM TO LEARN PAIN NEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION. >> WE HAVE PATIENTS COME IN CHRONIC PAIN AND REALLY ACUTE PAIN NOW IT WORKS FOR THAT TOO. WE TRY TO EDUCATE THEM ON PAIN, THE PHYSIOLOGY OF IT AND THAT HELPS TO DECREASE THEIR ANXIETY ABOUT PAIN. ANN: THROUGH THESE GOGGLES, PATIENTS ARE BROUGHT TO A VIRTUAL CLASSROOM WHERE THEY LEARN ABOUT THEIR PAIN AND ITS PHYSIOLOGY WITH VARIOUS RELAXING TOOLS, VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS, MENTAL EXERCISES AND INTERACTIVE COURSES. THERAPISTS SAY THAT KNOWLEDGE HELPS DECREASE ANXIETY, WHICH OFTEN MAGNIFIES THE PROBLEM. ADD THAT TO PHYSICAL THERAPY AND SO FAR, THE RESULTS HAVE BEEN VERY POSITIVE. AND THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS THIS, A GRADUATION WALL. PROREHAB HAS TESTIMONIALS LIKE ' ’I FEEL STRONG AND FABULOUS’ AND ' ’NO MORE BACK PAIN, THANKS GANG’. THEY HOPE MORE AND MORE PATIENTS ARE ABLE TO SAY THAT WITH THIS

For many sufferers of acute or chronic pain, medication is often the first and only resource for relief. The opiod epidemic has many sufferers worried about addiction. One local therapy center is looking at an alternative: virtual reality technology. One could almost call it virtual reality physical therapy. At ProRehab Physical Therapy, they actually use virtual reality to help change their patients' mindset about pain. After having an emergency C-section, Molly Weisberg fought for her life in the hospital for two weeks. When she finally arrived home, doctors said she started to exhibit painful symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder."I ended up just feeling like my bones were crumbling in my hands and my feet, especially when I'd get up in the morning," Weisberg said. Soon the pain became unbearable, and she couldn't even hold her new baby. Her doctors suggested strong pain medication or therapy.That's when she found ProRehab Physical Therapy where they train your brain to understand pain to help manage it. They do it through a virtual reality program that takes you to a virtual classroom for "pain neuroscience education".“We have patients come in chronic pain and really acute pain. Now it works for that, too. We try to educate them on pain, the physiology of it, and that helps to decrease their anxiety about pain," said Eric Mcelroy. Through VR goggles, patients are brought to a virtual classroom, where they learn about their pain and its physiology with various relaxing tools, virtual environments, mental exercises and interactive courses. Therapists say that knowledge helps decrease anxiety, which often magnifies the problem. That knowledge, coupled with physical therapy, has garnered very positive results from patients. The pain neuroscience education course is a pilot program for ProRehab. If you'd like to learn more, click here.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —

For many sufferers of acute or chronic pain, medication is often the first and only resource for relief.

The opiod epidemic has many sufferers worried about addiction. One local therapy center is looking at an alternative: virtual reality technology. One could almost call it virtual reality physical therapy. At ProRehab Physical Therapy, they actually use virtual reality to help change their patients' mindset about pain.

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After having an emergency C-section, Molly Weisberg fought for her life in the hospital for two weeks. When she finally arrived home, doctors said she started to exhibit painful symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder.

"I ended up just feeling like my bones were crumbling in my hands and my feet, especially when I'd get up in the morning," Weisberg said.

Soon the pain became unbearable, and she couldn't even hold her new baby. Her doctors suggested strong pain medication or therapy.

That's when she found ProRehab Physical Therapy where they train your brain to understand pain to help manage it. They do it through a virtual reality program that takes you to a virtual classroom for "pain neuroscience education".

“We have patients come in chronic pain and really acute pain. Now it works for that, too. We try to educate them on pain, the physiology of it, and that helps to decrease their anxiety about pain," said Eric Mcelroy.

Through VR goggles, patients are brought to a virtual classroom, where they learn about their pain and its physiology with various relaxing tools, virtual environments, mental exercises and interactive courses.

Therapists say that knowledge helps decrease anxiety, which often magnifies the problem. That knowledge, coupled with physical therapy, has garnered very positive results from patients.

The pain neuroscience education course is a pilot program for ProRehab. If you'd like to learn more, click here.